Situation: A community foundation CEO shared with me that her organization was growing, but the processes they had in place felt frail. She worried that employee turnover could create the risk of errors and reputation damage. Also, the foundation was moving slowly in performing essential services, such as issuing donor-advised fund (DAF) grants. This CEO knew the foundation had the opportunity for growth, but employees were burned out from regularly working overtime on both evenings and weekends. How could she lead the team to solve these challenges?
Approach: My first step was to introduce process improvement/transformation tools so staff and leadership could see what was actually happening. Then I provided a four-hour “Concepts Training” to project teams to build the foundation’s most powerful asset: their team. After that I coached a 24-hour process deep dive into the foundation’s DAF grants process.
Results: This approach enabled each project team member to learn the process. The team removed 40% of the process steps they had formerly used to issue DAF grants. In so doing, they decreased turnaround time and recaptured about 1,500 hours of staff time. Staff and leaders came to understand that every employee needed to be part of the solution. Now the team has both skills and will to replace FIMS. A delighted project champion commented that the work was done on time, on target, and on budget.
See a process deep dive happen: IPD Process Deep Dive Experience Video
Given that November marks the beginning of the big donation season, many philanthropic organizations have only the next four months to position themselves for success this year. Now is a great time to engage employees in solving pain points, creating capacity, and getting ready for the year-end donation season. Learn more: What Will Your Organization Accomplish in the Next Four Months?
Recently, a software vendor told me that organizations considering a new software system would do well to supply their vendor with a detailed process map. Having such a map helps the vendor better address the organization’s needs and generate a more accurate quote. In four hours of work with your team, I can produce a process map that will help you achieve a better software outcome. Contact me to learn more.
The past two years have been defined by disruption, causing some leaders to worry about overwhelming staff with process changes. In reality, however, thoughtfully examining and optimizing day-to-day organizational activities can actually help philanthropic and nonprofit organizations recapture time, improve accuracy, increase coaching, and otherwise enhance their community impact. Learn more in my article recently published in Candid’s Philanthropy News Digest. Change for good: How foundations can increase impact through operational improvements | The sustainable nonprofit | Features | PND (philanthropynewsdigest.org)
MinnCAP Annual Conference, Willmar Minnesota
July 26, 2022, 1:30 to 2:45 pm
Minnesota CAP agencies: Learn more and register: MinnCAP Annual Conference 2022
Operations—the work done to execute an organization’s mission—is critical to achieving success. Even during the pandemic, communities and foundation boards are asking for more from operations staff—more effectiveness, greater efficiency, and a higher degree of accuracy. They want faster turnaround time and the capacity to administer more programs.
Operations and process improvement are key to delivering on these increasing expectations.
In this webinar, you will learn how foundations have improved their approach to getting work done. Next, we will help you identify potential opportunities for maximizing how processes, people, and systems can lead to better outcomes and enhanced impact. Finally, we will explain the steps needed to achieve great results from operations and process improvement.
Speaker: Lee Kuntz, Certified Process Coach and CLSSBB
Date: May 25, 2022, 2:00–2:45 pm CT
Once you register, you will receive a Zoom meeting invite. We hope you will join us for this free informational session.
Do you want to learn to transform processes and operations, which is different content than this webinar? Then contact Lee Kuntz at 651-330-7076 or lee @improveprocess.net to share your needs. And click here to experience our process deep dive.
Our recent survey of the philanthropic sector found all responding foundations expect major change in 2022 and beyond. Potential changes include implementing new systems, hiring new leaders, adding new programs, or accommodating new expectations.
Yet many operations employees—the people who are most accountable for implementing new ideas—are worn out and not ready to take on the challenges that inevitably accompany change.
Over the course of 100 operations projects with philanthropic organizations, Lee Kuntz has regularly encountered employees hesitant to change how they do their work. In this live, no-cost webinar, Lee will share three ways to get operations staff ready to make positive, productive changes.
Speaker: Lee Kuntz, Certified Process Coach and CLSSBB
Live webinar date & time: May 11, 2022; 2:00–2:45 pm Central Time
Register in advance for this meeting:
Once you register, you will receive a Zoom meeting invite. We hope you will join us for this free informational session.
Do you want to learn to transform processes and operations, which is different content than this webinar? Then contact Lee Kuntz at 651-330-7076 or lee @improveprocess.net to share your needs. And click here to experience our process deep dive.
Is your foundation experiencing overwhelming workloads and tight budgets, yet need more capacity? Are you struggling to meet client and board demands for better and faster results? Do you need to maximize your foundation’s big technology investment?
Foundations like yours take the first step to cure these pain points and achieve great results through Think Differently Process Transformation Workshop™. This nuts-and-bolts, eight-hour training is tailor-made for foundations. One used this training and our coaching to take their grants process from 79 steps to 35 better steps, getting about 50 percent of their work time back.
Think Differently Process Transformation Workshop™ focuses on giving your employees the knowledge to see and solve opportunities specific to community foundations. Each attendee brings and solves a process pain point. Attendees say they solve a process problem, now see their organization’s process improvement opportunities, and are equipped to become valued members of their foundation’s process improvement team.
“We recaptured time. Yet we achieved so much more.”
Meghan Warrick, Executive Vice President and CFO, Central Florida Foundation
Bring a process problem to this workshop and solve it during the session. This workshop is the following days.
Learn more or register by emailing Lee Kuntz at info@improveprocess.net.
Process and operations improvement has continued despite the pandemic, according to our recent study of philanthropic foundations. Yet according to the survey, leaders are worried about staff readiness for more change.
Learn more about the challenges and opportunities uncovered in this survey through this executive summary. 2022 Operations Improvement Survey Results
Then hear detailed survey findings and the related solutions in our live, short, free, “About Transformation” webinars.
To see how we conduct an operations process deep dive, check out this deep dive video.
Operations—the work done to execute an organization’s mission—is critical to achieving success. Even during the pandemic, communities and foundation boards are asking for more from operations staff—more effectiveness, greater efficiency, and a higher degree of accuracy. They want faster turnaround time and the capacity to administer more programs.
Operations and process improvement are key to delivering on these increasing expectations.
In this webinar, you will learn how foundations have improved their approach to getting work done. Next, we will help you identify potential opportunities for maximizing how processes, people, and systems can lead to better outcomes and enhanced impact. Finally, we will explain the steps needed to achieve great results from operations and process improvement.
Speaker: Lee Kuntz, Certified Process Coach and CLSSBB
Date: March 24, 2022, 1:00–2:00 pm CT
Once you register, you will receive a Zoom meeting invite. We hope you will join us for this free informational session.
Are you working around the clock, working remotely, in transition or onsite? Yet is there even more to do? Are employees feeling stressed out? Are they at risk of leaving the foundation?
In this professional development session, leaders and individuals will hear and practice three employee productivity best practices in fun activities.
Learning Objectives
Learn about or register for PEAK2022 here:
When a foundation updates its software system, the purchase typically requires years of research and a financial investment that can run well into six figures. So it’s important to make the most of that purchase. The most effective way to do that is to use system upgrades as an opportunity to reexamine internal processes.
In this live, no-cost webinar, you will learn the best practices for redesigning and maximizing business processes and practices during new system implementation.
Speaker: Lee Kuntz, Certified Process Coach, CLSSBB
Webinar: Thursday, February 24, 2022; 1:00 pm–2:00 pm CT
Register in advance for this meeting:
Once you register, you will receive a Zoom meeting invite. We hope you will join us for this free informational session.
Our recent survey of the philanthropic sector found all responding foundations expect major change in 2022 and beyond. Potential changes include implementing new systems, hiring new leaders, adding new programs, or accommodating new expectations.
Yet many operations employees—the people who are most accountable for implementing new ideas—are worn out and not ready to take on the challenges that inevitably accompany change.
Over the course of 100 operations projects with philanthropic organizations, Lee Kuntz has regularly encountered employees hesitant to change how they do their work. In this live, no-cost webinar, Lee will share three ways to get operations staff ready to make positive, productive changes.
Speaker: Lee Kuntz, Certified Process Coach and CLSSBB
Live webinar date & time: February 17, 2022; 1:00–2:00 pm Central Time
Register in advance for this meeting:
Once you register, you will receive a Zoom meeting invite. We hope you will join us for this free informational session.
For those that attended this training, here is a link to the presentation Lee Kuntz shared.
Is your foundation looking to do more? Are employees stressed out? Are you looking at new systems? If you see any of these challenges, consider joining my firm for one of our live, no-cost webinars.
This About Operations Transformation series focuses on helping foundation leaders understand how they can improve work outcomes.
(New webinar)
Is your operations staff ready for more change?
Many operations employees—the people who are most accountable for implementing new ideas—are worn out and not ready to take on the challenges that inevitably accompany change. In this webinar, Lee Kuntz will share three ways to get operations staff ready to make positive, productive changes.
(Updated webinar)
Upgrading software? Maximize your investment and success with process redesign. When a foundation updates its software system, the purchase typically requires years of research and a financial investment that can run well into six figures. So it’s important to make the most of that purchase. In this live, no-cost webinar, you will learn the best practices for redesigning and maximizing business processes and practices during new system implementation.
(New webinar based on recent survey)
Operations—the work done to execute an organization’s mission—is critical to achieving success. In this webinar, you will hear how foundations have improved their approach to getting work done. Next, we will help you identify potential opportunities for maximizing how processes, people, and systems can lead to better outcomes and enhanced impact. Finally, we will explain the steps needed to achieve great results from operations and process improvement.
Contact Lee today to discuss your challenge.
